Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer (CPPO)

Women for Women International•,

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer (CPPO) is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, responsible for Women for Women International's global program strategy, quality, design, evidence and learning, institutional business development, strategic programmatic partnerships, and program delivery coherence. This role acts as the International CEO's principal strategic partner on mission alignment, program model coherence, expansion, delivery continuity, and institutional partnerships. The CPPO leads the Global Programs team and holds final decision-making authority on global program standards, technical quality, major program design shifts, pilots, innovations, programmatic commitments, and institutional go/no-go decisions. A core purpose of the role is to ensure that funding opportunities and external commitments remain aligned with WfWI's vision, mission, strategy, evidence, delivery capacity, and accountability to women affected by war and conflict, thereby reducing the risk of the organization becoming donor-driven.

Requirements

Master's degree or equivalent in international development, social sciences, public policy, gender studies, humanitarian studies, or another relevant field.
Minimum 15 years of senior leadership experience in the international nonprofit, development, or humanitarian sector.
Substantial experience leading complex program portfolios across multiple countries, preferably including fragile or conflict-affected settings.
Strong track record in program strategy, program quality, country or regional program oversight, delivery coherence, and organizational change.
Demonstrated ability to lead evidence-based decision-making regarding programming, learning, and impact.
Strong experience with institutional business development and donor engagement, including the ability to translate strategic opportunities into funding commitments.
Strong track record of leading large, diverse, and geographically dispersed teams in matrixed structures.
Ability to think strategically at a global level and translate strategy into practical implementation.
Strong judgment and credibility in representing programmatic work with donors, peers, partners, Board members, and senior stakeholders.
Deep understanding of women's rights, gender equality, conflict, women, peace and security, and international development.
Excellent collaboration skills and ability to work effectively across programs, operations, communications, advocacy, finance, regional leadership, and revenue functions.
Right to work in one of the specified locations and willing to relocate at own expense if currently located elsewhere.

Nice To Haves

Prior international assignment spanning multiple regions.
Experience in Africa and the Middle East.
Existing networks and reputation with relevant institutional and strategic partners.
Experience overseeing research, evaluation, or complex learning agendas.
Experience with integrated, multi-sector, localization, partnership, or graduation-style program models.

Responsibilities

Lead the participatory development of WfWI's global program strategy and guide its execution.
Ensure WfWI's program model remains high quality, evidence-informed, context-responsive, financially realistic, and aligned with the organization's mission and strategy.
Drive continuous improvement in program design, implementation quality, and operational delivery.
Oversee the development and maintenance of global program standards, technical approaches, guidance, quality assurance processes, and decision rights.
Ensure strong integration between program strategy, safeguarding, localization, learning, partner engagement, and women-centered design.
Hold final decision-making authority on programmatic standards, technical quality, and global program model coherence.
Provide executive leadership for WfWI's global program portfolio, ensuring strong alignment across regions and countries.
Work through Regional Directors and directly manage designated Country Directors during transitional phases.
Maintain the formal program-quality matrix relationship with Regional Directors and Country Directors.
Support the phased transition of country reporting lines from CPPO to regional leadership.
Partner with Regional Directors to ensure country strategies, annual plans, program priorities, and funding opportunities are coherent with global program strategy.
Surface delivery risks, capacity gaps, quality concerns, and performance issues early with relevant leaders.
Provide executive oversight of the technical Global Programs functions to ensure WfWI's interventions remain coherent, scalable, and grounded in women's needs.
Guide the development of new program approaches, adaptations, design improvements, and innovations.
Ensure technical design choices are realistic, cost-aware, operationally feasible, and aligned with country capacity.
Promote strong integration between program planning, design, delivery, learning, business development, grant management, safeguarding and security, human resources, and external positioning.
Champion evidence-based decision-making across the organization.
Provide executive sponsorship to relevant research and learning forums.
Hold oversight for major program design shifts, pilots, adaptations, and innovations.
Provide oversight of MERL investment decisions, evidence quality assurance, and data governance standards.
Act as Executive Sponsor and primary decision maker for the Crisis Response Fund (CRF).
Chair the CRF Steering Committee and provide consistent guidance to the CRF Manager and team.
Decide on high-risk contexts, partners, allocations, and escalations for the CRF.
Ensure CRF approaches are coherent with WfWI's wider program strategy, safeguarding standards, localization commitments, and partner engagement approach.
Champion the CRF internally and drive external fundraising for CRF.
Oversee and provide strategic leadership to the Global Business Development Unit to meet fundraising targets.
Oversee the development and execution of the global Business Development strategy.
Guide institutional funding priorities, partnership choices, and opportunity pipelines.
Ensure the Global Programs team is consulted on institutional, corporate, major donor, strategic partnership, and MOU opportunities.
Ensure fundraising targets are strategically set, monitored, adjusted, reported, and met.
Provide oversight to ensure coordination between BDU, GPU functions, Country Offices, Regional Directors, GSC Finance, and other revenue teams.
Hold final go/no-go authority for institutional program-related funding opportunities and programmatic commitments.
Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships with peer organizations, bilaterals, multilaterals, research institutions, think tanks, networks, and other actors.
Represent WfWI in international programmatic fora and strategic partnership discussions.
Support the CEO and other senior leaders with high-level external engagement on program and partnership matters.
Contribute program evidence, country insight, and subject matter expertise to external narratives, donor materials, and global positioning.
Serve as a thought leader within the development community and with WfWI's Global Board and staff.
Lead and develop high-performing teams across Global Programs, Business Development, CRF, and related functions.
Oversee the Global Programs and Partnerships budget.
Lead program-related presentations, planning, and communications with the Executive Leadership Team, Global Leadership Team, and relevant Board committees.
Strengthen organization-wide clarity on roles, decision rights, and accountabilities.
Contribute to organization-wide transformation, sequencing, and implementation planning.
Ensure a unified program operating model with clear decision rights across regions, countries, and global functions.
Undertake additional duties as required by the International Chief Executive Officer.
Uphold WfWI's Code of Conduct, Safeguarding policies, and organizational values.
Demonstrate WfWI leadership principles.